Dried Espelette chiles from the Basque Country in France offer bold heat along with rich fruitiness. Johnny Schmitt, the chef at the Table 128 restaurant in the Boonville Hotel in Mendocino County, Calif., is a fan and was buying so much of it from France that an owner, Roger Scommegna, thought it was time to start growing it. He started doing so on a small plot, and expanded to more than five acres, with the help of Ignacio Flores, a Mexican farmer. Their Espelettes are grown from seed, hand-harvested, dried and milled to make Piment d’Ville. The spice comes in regular, smoky and spicy versions.
Piment d’Ville, 1.2-ounce jars, two for $23.99; 3-ounce bags $28, 8-ounce bags $64, pimentdville.com.
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